


Everything's about Zayn...but what about Niall?

by Krissy_Kream



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2017-11-16 10:37:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krissy_Kream/pseuds/Krissy_Kream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Ziam where the others get suspicious about Zayn and Liam's awkward behaviour. They always go out together with just the two of them while leaving the rest of the guys in the dark. Niall, who secretly likes Liam, gets worried about their attitudes and confronts them. And that's when the trouble starts...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything's about Zayn...but what about Niall?

When Niall woke up this morning, he thought it would an average day. Breakfast, signing, snacks, photo shoot, lunch and then a free afternoon with movies and more snacks. It was around after lunch when things started turning weird.  
“We’re going out” Liam calls out, standing at the doorway. Zayn is by his side, looking anxiously at Liam every few seconds.  
“Out where?” Harry asks casually, legs outstretched. Niall sits next to him with Harry’s legs in his lap.  
“Oh, just…out” Liam tries to shrug casually but he’s shaking in anticipation.  
Niall frowns at him. “Is there something that you’re not telling us?”  
There’s no immediate response and it raises Niall suspicions even further.  
“We’re going out to eat…”  
“But I thought that we were going to cook together…” Harry pouts at Liam and Zayn.  
“Ah, well it’s a change of plan. We’ve got to go. Bye” Zayn ushers, well pushes, Liam out the door and slams it behind them. Harry and Niall exchange a look.  
“I don’t like it when friends keep secrets”  
“Can we torture it out of them?” Niall suggest with a devilish grin.  
“Sure, sounds like a plan” Harry smiles back and turns his focus back to the television. Niall however, continues to ponder over the situation. What’s up between them too? And why does Niall feel a faint sense of jealousy towards them?

A few hours have passed and the two guys still aren’t back.  
“Did they say when they’re coming back?” Louis asks when he enters the room. He has spent the last couple of hours on the internet and probably chatting with fans.  
“No…what would take them so long? They said they were just going out to eat” Niall says a bit worriedly. This really isn’t like either of them at all.

1 and half hours after this conversation, the front door opens with a bang!  
“We’re home!” Liam calls out and Niall storms out of his room angrily.  
“Where were you?!” he shouts angrily in Liam’s face. The smile on his face disappears quickly.  
“We said we were going out to eat…”  
“I didn’t realize that it takes 4 and half hours to eat lunch! And thanks for answering our calls!” Niall interrupts sarcastically.  
“Well, we’re sorry okay!” Liam’s voice gets louder and they get an audience. Harry, Louis and Zayn can only stand back and watch as their two friends argue.  
“Did you know how worried we were?! You probably didn’t care about that, did you?” Niall yells, tears of anger dripping down his face.  
“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry?” Liam says softly, not wanting to upset his friend any longer.  
“You can take your apology and shove it up your ass” Niall whispers brokenly and turns away, trying to make his escape.  
“Niall…” Harry gets in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.  
“Don’t Harry…” Niall says with clenched teeth.  
“No, just listen-…”  
Harry gets cut off as Niall shoves him hard and he slams into the wall, losing his breath.  
“Niall! You arse” Louis yells and goes over to check on Harry. Niall doesn’t stick around to see what damage he has caused. He runs up to his room and closes the door not so gently.

Around dinner time, Niall hears people whispering outside his room. Can’t he just sulk alone? When he went into his room after his rage fit, he sat there crying for a few moments before pulling himself together. Why is he so upset about one of his best friends keeping something from him? His heart wouldn’t stop beating loudly and weird thoughts had filled his brain. Did he really think he could live in a world without Liam? Of course not, but people who love others always think that. Then again, in what way does Niall love Liam? Sadly Niall can’t even answer that question without creating new ones…about his sexuality.  
“Niall? Can we talk?” Liam asks calmly through the door.  
“No Liam” Niall replies stubbornly. He knows he sounds childish but he doesn’t think he can just face him at the moment.  
“How about just you and me Niall? Huh?” Louis says and he knows he can let him in.  
“Sure” Niall says a bit too eagerly and has a feeling that Liam may now be even more hurt by him. But he shouldn’t care. Yet, he still does. Damn it.  
Louis opens the door slowly and closes it quickly behind him so Niall doesn’t have a chance to glance into the corridor.  
“Do you know why Liam and Zayn were out for so long?” Niall asks bluntly, lying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling.  
“No, they acted like nothing happened” Louis sighs and leans against the desk near him.  
“Don’t you find that odd?”  
“Yeah, it’s not right. But it’s not like we can just ask y’know,”  
“Why can’t we? We’re their friends; we have the right to ask and demand for answers. You know that this isn’t the first time this has happened,”  
“I know but…” Louis shakes his head frustratedly and drops the subject, “why did you get so angry back there? And why did you have to take it out on Harry?”  
“All the stuff with Liam and Zayn just got to me I guess. Harry was just an unfortunate person who was in my way when I was mad”  
“You reacted pretty strongly towards it though. There’s something else” Louis states, staring Niall down. He knows him too well.  
“I…” Niall finds himself speechless. Probably because he doesn’t know the answer, even when it's his own.  
“C’mon Niall. It’s bad enough that Liam and Zayn are keeping secrets from us but you…you can tell me anything. And you know that”  
“It’s slightly creepy seeing you so…mature I guess,” Niall chuckles weakly and covers his eyes with the back of his hand, “There’s a feeling stirring Louis. Something that’s been silent which is finally speaking out. And I hope it doesn’t…because it could change everything”  
“Well? What’s this feeling?”  
“Love or lust…but its generated towards someone that would never accept me for it”  
“If you just told them…”  
“No, because he would push me away instantly”  
“He?” Niall hears the genuine shock in his friend’s voice.  
“Yes Louis…I love Liam”

Niall waits for Louis to recover. It takes him at least a minute.  
“You’re not joking, are you?” he asks hesitantly, his expression still filled with shock.  
“No…I’m not”  
“But…wait; I still can’t wrap my head around this. How long have you…felt this way?”  
“Like I said, it’s only just started. I’m starting to actually notice him; the way he acts, his body and that arse …”  
“Okay, okay! I get it! TMI!” Louis puts his hands up in defence from Niall’s words. He’s really surprised since Niall hasn’t shown his feelings about this at all. 

Except for today…  
“Is today the only day you’ve done something like this? A bit…over emotional reaction to something he’s done?”  
“In front of him, yeah”  
“Are you planning on telling him…wait, in front of him? What do you mean?” Louis frowns in suspicion. Niall doesn’t say anything but he feels his face heat up and the hard on in his trousers.  
“Niall…” Louis persists and realization hits, “oh, you don’t! Seriously?!”  
“I-I just…” Niall stutters flustered, hiding his face in his hands.  
“God, Niall! Okay, okay; I’m calming down. It’s natural anyway…”  
“Natural to masturbate to one of your band mates? It’s like one sick fan fiction” Niall mumbles into his hands.  
“Yeah, whatever. Anyway, with you and Liam-…”  
“Have you ever done it Louis? To one of us? To…Harry?” Niall says without thinking and Louis’s jaw drops open. Has it got hotter in here or is it just him?  
“Uh, no…of course not! Why would you even- no!” Louis shouts embarrassedly and Niall knows it’s too good to be true.  
“Oh my god, you have-…”  
“It was one time! Or maybe more…gah! This isn’t about me! It’s about you! Now, are you going to apologize to Harry about hurting him?”  
“Of course but what about Liam?”  
“You don’t have to apologize I guess…because we’re going to confront him. Now”

Walking down the stairs to the dining room, Louis says casually “If you ever mention the fact that I’ve masturbated to Harry to anyone besides us, I will put all your clothes on eBay”  
Niall freezes where he stands and Louis smiles, glad that the threat has worked.  
“You know that applies to you too Lou. Mention anything about we discussed to the others and never see your precious suspenders again”  
Louis gasps and turns to face Niall who now has a triumphant look on his face. “You wouldn’t…”  
“Oh trust me…I would”  
Louis continues to glare at Niall until they reach the dining room/ living area where Harry, Liam and Zayn are sitting in random corners of the room. Niall decides to face Harry first.  
“Harry, I’m sorry for taking my anger out on you. I hope you’re okay and that I didn’t cause too much damage”  
“It’s alright mate. It’s all good and don’t forget…I’m Harry Fucking Styles, as indestructible as a brick wall” Harry pounds his fist against his chest with a smile. Niall can’t help but smile back. Good ol’ Harry. 

For the first time ever, it goes awkwardly quiet in the 1D mansion as Niall tries to build up the courage to confront Liam. Unluckily for him, Louis helps him (or should it be luckily? Whatever) begin.  
“Niall? Don’t you have something to say to Liam and Zayn?”  
Shooting daggers at him, Niall makes his way over to where Liam and Zayn are sitting. They turn towards him and to Niall’s surprise; they look as guilty as him.  
“Liam, Zayn I’m sorry for snapping at you. I had no right to get all frustrated about something as little as this. Our friendship…means a lot to me so I know I’m doing the right thing by making amends”  
“I’m going to stop you right there buddy,” Liam puts his hand up to cease Niall, “I think you have every right in the book to be pissed at us. We were reckless to just ignore you guys and make you worry. We’re sorry…especially since we’ve been lying to you”  
“I knew it!” Louis exclaims and immediately shuts up from a glare from Harry.  
“You’re going to tell them?” Zayn whispers rather loudly to Liam and Niall feels the anger come right back to the surface.  
“Tell us what?” he questions suspiciously. Liam can only sigh and nod his head.  
“You have probably noticed that in the past few weeks, Zayn and I have been going out of the house a lot. We’ve been making excuses and lies about where we’re going although some of them are the truth. We’re coming clean now…” Liam takes a deep breath and Niall can only watch the small action that Liam makes, which shatters the world around him. Liam grasps Zayn’s hands between his own. The next words Liam says sounds amplified towards Niall.  
“Zayn and I are in a gay relationship with each other”

Three things happen within the next few seconds. Harry, Louis and Niall react in their own way with flabbergasted expressions. Niall actually bursts into tears and runs out of the room in emotional pain. Some secrets are just too much for the heart to bear.  
“What’s wrong with him?” Harry asks worriedly as Louis goes after him.  
“I don’t know but I’ve never seen him cry so much” Liam looks out of the room, like he could see Niall waiting there.

Niall doesn’t make it far. He collapses on a couch in the next room (which happens to be the game room), sobbing uncontrollably. Louis almost runs past him and rights himself, quickly coming to Niall’s aid.  
“Oh Niall…” Louis whispers as he sits down next to Niall and pulls him into his lap, soothing him quietly.  
“H-h-h-he will n-n-n-never love me-e…” Niall chokes out.  
“I’m sorry buddy, please stop crying” Louis pleads, tears forming in his eyes. No one, not even celebrities can ever sit with a close friend who’s crying without crying themselves.  
“B-b-b-but… I-I…” he wails softly.  
“Shhh, Shhh” Louis strokes Niall’s hair comfortingly and notices movement near the open doorway. He looks up and his eyes widen in shock. Harry is standing there looking rather confused.

“How long have you been there?” Louis mouths to Harry as Niall continues to cry in his lap.  
“I heard everything” Harry mouths back and points towards his room, wanting to talk. Louis holds up his hand, saying that he will meet him in 5 minutes. Harry nods and disappears from the doorway. Louis turns his attention back to Niall. Thank god for him, he notices the box of tissues on the coffee table. He grabs it and hands it to Niall, who mops himself up gratefully.  
“Do you think you can face him again?” Louis asks kindly, rubbing his back.  
“I…have to eventually. I don’t want the band to be affected by my silly issues” Niall sniffles.  
Louis smiles sadly to himself. Niall is pushing away his troubles for the sake of him and the others…bless his Irish heart.  
“Do you want to go watch a movie? You can choose one from the shelf, I need to check up on something” Louis recommends and smiles when Niall’s face lights up.  
“Okay!” he jumps off the couch and roams the shelf, quietly mumbling to himself.  
Louis makes his escape and heads to Harry’s room.

He knocks on the door quietly and waits patiently. Footsteps are heard and then the door opens, revealing Harry. Louis feels a certain tightening in his stomach. He gets it every time he looks at Harry.  
“Come in Boo bear” Harry winks at him and Louis chuckles as he walks into the room. He takes a seat on Harry’s bed and leans against the wall. Harry sits on the ground in front of the bed so he can face Louis.  
“So…what was that about with Niall?” Harry’s expression turns serious and Louis bites his tongue. Should he tell Harry Niall’s secret?  
Sensing Louis’s hesitation, Harry picks up on it immediately. “He told you not to tell anyone, didn’t he?”  
Louis nods his head in response.  
“The thing is,” Harry continues, “everyone’s worried about him. When he ran away, Liam and Zayn immediately panicked. I had to convince them telling us was a good thing and not bad at all”  
“What are they doing now?” Louis asks with concern.  
“I left them to cuddle on the couch in the living room. Liam was crying though. You know how close he and Niall are”  
“Yeah…” Louis sighs and fidgets nervously, trying to think about what is right. Only telling Harry would be okay right? He can trust Harry so easily…oh to hell with it. Louis tells him everything…besides the stuff about himself jacking off to him.  
“So Niall loves Liam? Oh wow…no wonder he’s upset” Harry shakes his head in pity.  
“Yeah…something like that would affect anyone” Louis sighs and then starts thinking. What would he do if Harry got a girlfriend? He could…possibly live with it. But what if…he got a boyfriend? The thought alone makes tears escape his eyes before he can stop them.  
“Lou? Why are you crying?” Harry asks, surprise written on his face. Louis just shakes his head and hides his face in his hands. Now he knows how Niall feels…the person you love loving someone else. He doesn’t want it to happen to him. Louis feels the bed creak under some more weight as Harry joins him on the bed and pulls Louis to him.  
“You can tell me Lou…please?” Harry pleads at him desperately and Louis looks at him, tears still on his cheeks. Harry wipes them away but continues to cradle Louis’s cheek gently. Louis looks into Harry’s bluish-grey eyes and feels the butterflies again. His gaze moves down to Harry’s lips and he’s mesmerized. The way they are perfect in shape and the touch…Louis’s felt it before. On his face, hand and even lips…so soft. Before Louis can control himself, he’s leaning in close and to his amazement Harry looks like he’s doing the same. So close…a breath away.  
“Louis? You there? I chose a movie! Does Harry want to join us?” Niall knocks on the door and opens it. He freezes when he sees Harry and Louis’s position.  
“Am I…interrupting something?” Niall asks awkwardly, red tinging his cheeks.  
“No…it’s fine,” Louis pulls himself together and gets off Harry. Damn it, it will have to wait for now. Harry shifts uncomfortably and makes a quiet sound. Did he just hear a sigh?  
“What movie did you choose?” Louis turns to Niall with a smile.  
“I got Shaun of the Dead. I haven’t watched it but I’ve heard it’s funny” Niall smiles cheekily. Even with puffy red eyes, Niall still looks adorable.  
“Sounds good Niall. I shall join you guys if that’s alright” Harry slides off the bed.  
“Of course it is Hazza!” Niall turns away and heads back to the games room. Louis goes out to follow him and he senses Harry behind him. He stops in his tracks and Harry presses against his back.  
“We’ll have to continue that some other time…after the movie perhaps?”  
Harry doesn’t wait for Louis’s response; he pulls away and walks past him but not before slapping Louis on the arse which causes him to yelp in surprise.

When they walked into the room, they are surprised because Niall isn’t really there.  
“Where’d he go?” Louis asks, furrowing his brow.  
Harry rubs his hand against his forehead which means he’s concentrating really hard. Lucky for him, it pays off.  
“Wait…we missed dinner right?” Harry says, looking at Louis for confirmation.  
He nods, still not getting at where Harry’s going. “What does that have to do with anything?”  
“Niall…didn’t eat anything in the last 5 hours” Harry puts empathize in his words and Louis finally gets it.  
“The kitchen”  
Louis and Harry move quickly to the living room and stop. Niall is standing a few feet away from the door, staring at the couch with its two occupants. Liam and Zayn have fallen asleep on the couch, Zayn wrapped in Liam’s embrace. Stepping in front of Niall (to break the eye contact), Louis grabs his shoulders.  
“Niall…look at me,” he whispers gently and Niall eventually looks at him with fresh, unshed tears in his eyes. “Don’t think about it. You’ve still got Harry and me for company. It’s not like we expect you to forgive and forget so easily”  
Niall looks towards Harry for encouragement and Harry nods in agreement, smiling kindly.  
“We’ll get the food; wait for us in the room okay?”  
Niall nods with pursed lips and leaves the room. When he’s out of earshot, the two guys sigh in exhaustion.  
“What are we going to do?” Louis says, putting microwave popcorn into the microwave and slamming the door a bit hard for comfort.  
“We’re going to help Niall get over Liam like good friends and make sure he’s always happy” Harry responds and Louis turns to look at him. When Harry’s philosophical like this, Louis feels really lucky to know the other side of flirty Harry.

The movie would have been easier for Louis to watch if there wasn’t so much sexual tension between him and Harry. During the first 15 minutes of the movie, nothing happened. After that, things went downhill for Louis.  
First thing’s first, Louis is sitting on the couch with Harry while Niall sits in an armchair by himself. They’re cuddling up together with Louis lying back onto Harry who’s leaning against the arm of the sofa. Harry’s hands start to wander on their own and they move down Louis’s chest, making him lose his concentration from the movie. They run down the front down of shirt and Louis can feel his nipples involuntarily harden. His breath catches in his throat as Harry’s hands stop at the waist band of his jeans. Resisting the urge to press himself against Harry’s hand, Louis stretches up and rubs his cheek against Harry’s, who laughs quietly at him.  
“You remind me of a cat…and you know how much I love cats” Harry whispers seductively into Louis’s ear as they continue to ignore the movie. Louis’s stubble rubs against his cheek and for some reason; Harry gets really turned on from it. Weird fetish indeed.

Niall stares blankly at the television screen. He is trying as hard as he can to ignore the two (obviously horny) guys behind him flirting around with each other. It makes him think about what could have been…what should have been. Cuddling on the couch, laughing at and with each other, strolls to the park, dinner dates…kissing that beautiful smile with tight embraces and hugs…  
He feels the tears come back and he lets them go, crying silently into his lap. That should be him…not Zayn.

After another hour, the end credits show on the screen and Louis pulls away from Harry so he can stretch out from his position.  
“That was really funny” Harry smiles at Louis as he stands up, stretching out too. Lying down with someone in your lap can make you feel cramped.  
“Yeah…hey Niall, did you enjoy the movie?” Louis asks Niall who doesn’t respond.  
“Niall?” Harry questions worriedly as he approaches Niall’s armchair. His expression softens when he sees Niall up close. “He’s asleep…but he’s been crying even more. His shirt is soaked”  
“How do you know?”  
“Well, it feels damp,” Harry pokes Niall gently, “and I can see his tummy”  
Louis can’t help but release a small giggle at Harry’s words. “Should we carry him to his room?”  
“Yeah…sounds like a good idea”  
Louis takes Niall’s upper body while Harry takes lower. “I…2…3!”  
They hoist him up and he doesn’t even stir. Slowly but carefully, they carry him across the hallway and not as gently, put him on his bed. The moment they release him, he whimpers quietly in his sleep.  
“Liam…why…leave me?”  
The sentence makes a crack in Harry’s heart and he strokes Niall’s blonde locks soothingly. “Shhh…it’s okay. Everything will be okay”  
Niall’s breathing becomes even and Harry thinks to himself: Why did that sound like a lie?

5 minutes later, Harry closes Niall’s bedroom door quietly. Louis’s waiting for him in his bedroom and he’s slightly anxious to see him. Just metres away from his door, he gets stopped by someone. Zayn Malik, in fact.  
“Is Niall okay?” he asks, glancing across to Niall’s closed door.  
“Yes…for now. He took the news hard” Harry replies. He’s really not lying technically, just avoiding the truth.  
“Why? Is he…homophobic?” Zayn whispers the word like it’s cursed.  
“No! He would never be homophobic! He just has…personal issues to sort out which have nothing to do with gayness or you two” Oh god, how could he be homophobic when he’s gay himself? The thought alone makes Harry have to supress a laugh. Zayn’s look of confusion makes Harry also realize that the thing he just said didn’t make much sense.  
“Look, the main thing is that Niall has to have a “moment of self-reflection” by sleeping this off. He’ll be fine later; just let him figure this out on his own. And remember…he has nothing against you guys or gayness!” Harry says quickly and makes his escape, slamming his bedroom door in haste. 

“What the heck was that about?” Louis asks, looking at Harry who has taken up a slouched position against his bedroom door.  
“I was confronted by Zayn. They somehow got the idea that our little chicken nugget is homophobic…” Harry says and Louis lets out a bark of laughter.  
“I felt like laughing too…poor Zayn. How long do we have to keep them in the dark?”  
“Hopefully not long. But then again, it’s Niall’s choice”  
Harry outstretches his arms and Louis raises an eyebrow at him.  
“Come here”  
“Is that an order or a request?”  
“An order”  
“And why should I go there? Can’t you come up here?”  
“I feel exhausted after talking to Zayn. Join me please Boo Bear?”  
Louis sighs in defeat and crosses the room to Harry who tugs his wrist so Louis’s now facing him on the floor. He pulls again and Louis falls against him as Harry clutches him tight.  
“What happened earlier, Curly?” Louis asks his voice muffled against Harry’s shoulder. He feels Harry freeze and his breathing become uneven.  
“Louis I…the moment we shared-it’s something like…” Harry stutters out, his mouth not cooperating with his brain. That feeling he felt with Louis…was something he’s never felt with a girl EVER. It was so soft and loving that Harry wanted to feel it again immediately. Like a drug.  
“Something you didn’t like?” Louis says without thinking and he hears Harry’s sharp intake of breath.  
“NO! It’s just- I don’t know…my head and heart are feeling funny…” Harry removes his hands from Louis and uses them to cover his face. Shouldn’t he be thinking about girls and not his best friend in this way? It’s not right…is it? All Harry wants to do at the moment is be with Louis but at what cost? Should Harry risk their friendship? And Niall…it would crush him even more if the only time two people he can trust at the moment start dating, since he can’t get together with the person he loves. It’s like spitting in his crying face.  
“What are they telling you to do?” Louis whispers gently, twirling Harry’s curls around his fingers.  
“My head is telling me that we’re hurting others by doing this…and also hurting ourselves” Harry gasps out and he realizes that he’s crying softly.  
“And your heart is saying?”  
“That I love you…and I would rather see the world burn before my eyes than let you go”

Louis can’t seem to breathe. That is the most touching thing he has ever heard…and Harry said it to him. Louis feels it and sees it…His love for Harry. It’s so strong and powerful that he can’t even think straight. He wants Harry…like he needs air.  
“Hazza…” Louis breathes out his name and pries Harry’s hands from his face so he can see the younger man. Although he has red rings around his eyes with dried tears on his cheeks, Harry still looks like everything Louis wants. Courage surges through him and before he registers it, he’s kissing Harry tenderly. Heat and lust courses through the both of them and Louis feel Harry kiss him back just as forcefully.  
“God Louis, that was amazing” Harry gasps as he pulls away from Louis to get air. Louis is just as out of breath as he is. They rest their foreheads together as they almost breathe in unison.  
“You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to-…”  
Harry interrupts Louis by capturing his lips with his own and they continue to have casual lip sex.

***

When Liam wakes up, he notices that he’s alone.  
“Zayn? Harry?” He rubs his eyes sleepily. Glancing at his phone, he finds out that it’s 11:30pm. He gets off the couch and wanders aimlessly around the space. They must be upstairs in their bedrooms. He climbs the stairs quickly and passes the first bedroom, Zayn’s. He hears some awkward noises and moves on down the corridor. There’s no sound from the next room, Louis’s. Must be asleep. The second last room however does have some noises. Liam can hear giggling and throaty chuckles coming from the room. Did Harry bring a girl over? Eh, whatever. None of his beeswax.

Liam stands outside the final room. Niall’s. Like Louis’s room, he hears nothing. He can’t seem to talk himself out of walking away though. Opening the door noiselessly, he steps into the room and closes the door behind him quickly. Moonlight pours into the room so it’s not pitch black and Liam sees Niall immediately. He’s curled up on his side facing him and he looks so relaxed. His blonde hair is messy from possible tossing and turning in his sleep and the only noise he’s emitting is his heavy breathing. When Liam goes in closer so he’s right beside Niall’s face, he sees his red puffy eyes from crying. Liam remembers what happened earlier and his heart thumps painfully in his chest. Why is Niall so upset? And why won’t he tell him about it?  
“Hmmm…Liam…” Niall whimpers quietly and Liam freezes, worried that he’s been caught. But Niall goes silent again and Liam sighs in relief when he realizes that Niall’s just sleep talking. He’s not really surprised that Niall said his name; he knows from past experiences that Niall says a lot of crazy stuff while asleep. But…he has never sounded that sad before.  
“Tell me what’s wrong Niall…please?” Liam whispers painfully, his voice cracking a bit at the end. There’s no response from Niall and Liam can only continue to stroke his hair soothingly as he watches him sleep.

***

The next morning, a chain of events happen. Harry wakes up in his bed with Louis cuddled up to him; Zayn visits Liam’s room and finds it empty, and Niall wakes up to discover Liam sleeping on his bedroom floor. Let’s start off with the Blondie and the guy who’s afraid of dirty spoons.  
“Liam?” Niall nudges Liam’s back with his toe. Liam grumbles in response and Niall prods him harder which finally wakes him up completely.  
“What? Wait…Niall?” he sits upright in a rush, his eyes creepily wide open.  
“What are you doing in my room?” his curious tone turns bleak as he eyes Liam cautiously.  
“I...uh, wanted to talk to you” Liam rubs the back of his head awkwardly. Well at least he’s not lying technically.  
“I’m not ready to talk to you Liam” Niall says, his words laced with unspoken pain.  
“But Niall, I don’t-…” Liam protests but the look on Niall’s face cuts him off. It’s the most confusing expression Liam’s ever seen; it’s a mix of pure rage and sadness.  
“Please Liam…I-…I don’t want to yell at you” Niall turns his back to Liam and rubs his hands together like he suddenly feels cold.  
“Then don’t yell. Just tell me why you’re acting like this”  
“Acting like what Liam? Acting like a whiny little brat? Acting…like a cry baby? I’m sorry but…it’s who I am. I can’t change…please leave now”  
Niall doesn’t turn to face him and Liam knows how stubborn he can be. He gets up off the floor and makes his way to the door. Just as he closes the door behind him, he hears the sound of Niall’s broken, muffled sobs.

When Harry awakes and sees himself and Louis in his bed together, he assumes the worst at first. Did he and Louis…have sex? No, of course not. They still have their clothes on. Well…mostly. Louis is splayed out on top of Harry in a warm embrace. He’s shirtless and still very sound asleep. Harry tries to slip out from underneath him but it only results in him sliding off the bed with Louis still clinging to him. The only thing that has changed is that Louis is now awake.  
“Mmmm…Harry?” he opens his eyes sleepily and closes them again. Realization hits 3 seconds later and his eyes open wide comically. Untangling himself from Harry, he sits up and eyes him wearily.  
“Did we…?”  
“No, thank God. I mean, it’s not a bad thing but…y’know…” Harry shrugs.  
“Yeah…at least we still have our pants on”  
“What? You don’t want to see what’s under these jeans?” Harry wriggles his eyes perversely and Louis can’t help but go scarlet at the thought.  
“N-n-no…wait, yes! Arrgh…I don’t know! Stop confusing me” Louis grabs a pillow from the bed and hits Harry with it. Harry looks back at him with mock shock.  
“You did not just do that…”  
“Oh yes…I did. I also did this” Louis hits him again and Harry smiles back at him evilly.  
“Oh, it’s on now pretty boy”  
Harry grabs his own pillow and Louis ducks for cover as Harry swings it at him.  
“Fast reflexes…but not fast enough” Harry laughs.  
Louis turns and tries to make a run for it, but Harry manages a good whack on his arse before he can escape.  
“What’s up with you and hitting my bum, Mr Styles?”  
“It’s a very nice bum Mr Tomlinson and I think I shall have to claim it as my own”  
“Noooo! Not my bum!” Louis yells in fake terror as he tries to get away from the curly hair menace. It’s a game of cat and mouse as Louis and Harry try to give a good smack (of pillow) to the other. Towards the end, Louis ends up getting cornered with Harry looming over him.  
“It seems as though I have the upper hand pretty boy” Harry smirks diabolically and lifts his pillow up, as if ready to strike.  
“Okay, okay. I surrender” Louis drops his pillow with a smile and lifts his hands in the air.  
“Now was that so hard?” Harry laughs and drops his own pillow. He reaches Louis quickly and pins his upraised hands with his own against the wall. His lips find Louis’s and soon Louis’s back is pressing up against the wall as his body brushes along with Harry’s. Chest to chest, their nipples rub against each other and Louis feels his go rather stiff. Pulling his lips away, Harry leans in close to Louis’s ear.  
“Now would be the perfect time to ask me the question that’s revolving around your mind…”  
Louis chuckles heatedly. “What’s that in your jeans, Mr Styles?” 

Zayn knocks on Liam’s door at 9 am exactly…okay, give or take a minute. He wants to know if their plans are still on for today…it’s hard to cancel restaurant reservations on a Saturday. There’s no response from the other side of the door and Zayn frowns. He knows that Liam jogs every morning at 5am…he NEVER misses that unless something bad has happened or he’s sick; so Liam should be awake. Cautiously, he turns the knob and steps into Liam’s room. He knows that Liam doesn’t like people in his room without his permission but he’s starting to worry. Glancing around the room, he can tell immediately that Liam didn’t go to his own bed. So where did he go? Stepping out of Liam’s room, Zayn walks out into the corridor just as Liam goes out of Niall’s room.  
“WHAT THE HELL?!” they both yell at the same time as they spot each other.

“Where the hell were you?!” Zayn storms up to Liam and they meet up halfway.  
“Why the hell were you in my room?!” Liam rages back, steam practically coming out of his ears.  
“I asked first” Zayn prods Liam’s chest with his finger.  
Liam sighs and runs a hand through his hair frustratedly. “Fine! I was in Niall’s room, alright?!”  
The anger boiling up in Zayn turns cold. “Wha…what? Are you…cheating on me?”  
“No! I would never do that to you…but then why would you break one of my rules Zayn? No going into my room…you know how I don’t like people in there”  
“I went looking for you…I was worried…”  
“You know I can take care of myself!” Liam snaps and the heated argument starts to get even more intense.  
“Can you blame me for worrying about your safety?! Gah…it’s like you don’t want anyone to love you!”  
“How could you say that?! Of course I want people to love me….I just don’t want them to suffocate me like some people”  
“What’s going on out here?” Harry opens his bedroom door and steps out into the corridor to see what all the noise is about. He doesn’t get his answer however because Liam and Zayn continue to argue relentlessly.  
“You ignorant jerk! Caring for someone doesn’t mean they’re suffocating them! For all I’d known…you could have DIED”  
“Would it better for you, huh? If I was dead?!”  
“STOP IT! STOP IT, YOU TORMENTED BASTARDS” Niall runs out of his room frantically and gets in between Zayn and Liam. His outburst manages to actually shut both of the guys up.  
“THIS IS MY FAULT…EVERYTHING…everything is my fault” Niall suddenly feels short of breath and collapses to his knees.  
“Niall? What are you talking about? Are you okay?” Liam asks softly as he watches his friend break down emotionally in front of him.  
“Niall…” Louis says and Niall knows what he’s trying to say. Are you going to tell him, right now?  
“I can’t help it…it hurts so much…it compresses my chest so I can barely breathe...why does my heart act this way?” Niall says breathlessly staring at the floor intently.  
“Niall…you’re scaring me…what’s wrong with you?” Liam says with a panicked expression. It goes eerily quiet as Niall lifts his head up slowly to look Liam dead in the eye.  
“Don’t you see it Liam? I’m so deeply in love with you that it’s slowly killing me on the inside” Hysterical laughter erupts from Niall that sends shivers down Harry’s spine. It slowly turns to sobs as Louis goes and clutches Niall to him. Harry kneels down next to them and turns to Liam who is staring at Niall in wide eye surprise.  
“I think you two should go…we’ll talk later”  
Zayn shakes his head, clearing his mind. He puts his hand on Liam’s shoulder. “C’mon man, let’s leave them”  
“But…he…” Liam stutters and sighs, giving up. He lets Zayn lead him away as Niall lies there in his friend’s embrace, defenceless.

“What are we going to do with you, Niall?” Harry sighs, rubbing Niall’s back as he cries into his pillow.  
“l- l- l thought could face him”  
“Don’t try to push yourself, give yourself time to recover and eventually you’ll forgive and forget” Louis says, staring out the window. He’s watching Liam and Zayn who are outside, holding hands and strolling around the garden. The scene would have looked romantic if either of the two guys looked happy.  
“But l don’t want to lose my love for him!” Niall wails.  
“After a while, it’ll just disappear. You probably won’t even notice it’s gone”  
He won’t even notice it’s gone? NO! He won’t let himself forget! NEVER!  
“No! You can’t make me forget him! I love him too much to let him go” Niall sits up suddenly, startling Harry.  
“Calm down Niall…”  
“No…leave me alone!” Niall pushes himself off the bed and runs out of the room, tears clouding his vision. Harry stands up to pursue Niall but Louis holds him back.  
“Leave him be…we can’t fight his battles for him”

Niall runs out of the door into the garden. He needs to clear his head…a peaceful walk should do the trick. Wandering around the vast space, he sits against a tree after a few minutes. Can he ever face Liam again without breaking down in tears? If he tries really, really hard…maybe. He doesn’t want the fans to be affected by the issue…but it still hurts. Anyway, it’s not like he has no hope of Liam loving him at all…not trying to be mean, but their “Ziam” won’t last too long in his opinion.  
“Niall? Is that you?”  
Niall looks up and sees Liam standing there by himself, metres away. He doesn’t respond and Liam walks closer to him. He can’t help but whimper and huddle into himself. Yeah, he’s totally getting better at facing Liam.  
“Please Niall…talk to me…” Liam pleads, now on his knees in front of Niall.  
“Why…I can’t…” Niall shakes his head, still refusing to face Liam.  
“Yes…you can. Because you love me remember?”  
Those words surprise Niall and he turns to look at Liam, who’s staring at him with a determined expression.  
“Why aren’t you angry at me Liam? I confessed my love to you in front of your boyfriend”  
“Hahahaha, you think I should be mad?” Liam snickers and Niall doesn’t know whether to be mad or confused at the moment.  
“Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” Niall blushes and Liam struggles to put a straight face on.  
“Okay, okay…I’m serious now. I just feel…happy”  
“Happy? About my misery? Gee, thanks. Nice to know the guy I love likes it when I’m sad” Niall says bitterly, sarcasm dripping off his every word.  
“Please stop being Mr Grumpy Pants Niall. Look I know you’re upset but I just want you to know…”  
“Stop right there Mr Payne. If you’re going to try and comfort me, I’m just going to-…”  
Liam puts his hand over Niall’s mouth to stop him talking.  
“…I broke up with Zayn today. I couldn’t deal with him…I realized I like him more like a brother than a lover. He actually took it pretty well”  
Niall removes Liam’s hand from his mouth and he laughs for the first time in days. “You brother-zoned him? That’s so…weird”  
“Well, I had to do something about him since I’ve always liked someone else…”  
“You…do?” Niall’s happiness is quickly extinguished like a candle on a stormy night.  
“Yeah…he’s my one thing, the reason I get up every day, I look forward to every moment with him, to hug and cherish our memories whether they be good or bad…together”  
Liam, who looked away from Niall while saying this, turns to look back at him. The expression on his face is something that he’s never experienced before. Complete love and adoration.  
“I love you my little Irish chicken nugget…I always have and always will. Please…be mine?” Liam clasps Niall’s hands between his with watery eyes. Niall is completely speechless. Is this real? Has his dreams finally come true?  
“Y-yes Liam…”  
Liam starts laughing from pure joy as he pulls Niall into his lap. Niall joins in with Liam’s laughter and Louis looks out the window just as the two guys in garden kiss for the first (and certainly not the last) time.


End file.
